WLJT began broadcasting in 1968. Built as one of four educational stations under the control of the Tennessee Department of Education, it almost exclusively rebroadcast WKNO in Memphis. In 1981, studios were established at UT–Martin, allowing for the station to begin local programming. That same year, the state began the process to spin WLJT out to community control. The station's local programming focuses on sports and community events in rural West Tennessee.
History
State ownership
In 1953, officials with the Tennessee Educational Television Commission requested the assignment of several channels across the state for noncommercial educational use, including channel 11 at Lexington, in addition to existing assignments for Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.[2] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the assignments in March 1954.[3] In 1965, the Tennessee Department of Education filed with the FCC for a construction permit and with the federal government to request a grant to cover construction costs. The station would serve 553,000 people, including 137,000 schoolchildren.[4] The station would not have associated studios but initially serve to repeat Memphis educational station WKNO (channel 10).[5]
The grant and construction permit were received in April 1966.[6] Construction work had begun in earnest by June 1967,[7] and WLJT began operations on February 13, 1968.[8][9] It rebroadcast WKNO with extremely limited local programming;[10] while it broadcast on weekdays in 1977,[11] it did not do so in 1978, leaving the local cable system to carry WKNO itself.[10]
Community ownership
In 1980, controversy over programming at WSJK-TV in Sneedville led to scrutiny of the state educational television system, which had grown to four state-owned stations plus WKNO and WDCN in Nashville, which were community-owned. One of the two reports suggested that WLJT be sold to WKNO;[12] the other recommended spinning out all of the stations in the system to community licensees.[13] After WKNO expressed no interest,[14] the state chose the latter option when legislators passed and Governor Lamar Alexander signed the Tennessee Educational Television Network Act of 1981,[15] This legislation provided for the transfer of the four Department of Education-owned stations to community entities by 1986.[16][17]
In August 1981, the West Tennessee Public Television Council was formed, and WLJT began local programming from studios at UT–Martin.[14] This also added hands-on experience opportunities to UT–Martin's broadcasting program.[18] In 1982, the second year of local content, it produced 101 hours of its own programming. In April 1984, the spin-off was completed, and the station began on-air fundraising efforts.[19] In addition to typical PBS programming, WLJT aired local sports and a regional country music show as part of its local output.[20] In 1993, engineering operations were able to move to Martin when a new master and remote control facility opened at the studios.[21]
WLJT began digital broadcasting on channel 47 on February 20, 2004,[21] and discontinued analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009.[22] The station continued to broadcast on channel 47, using virtual channel 11,[23] until being repacked to channel 27 as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction on August 10, 2018; channel 14 had been originally assigned.[24]
Funding
In fiscal year 2022, WLJT generated $1.72 million in revenue. Nearly half of that came in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, while $467,000 came from state agencies. The station's 892 members contributed $75,000 in funding.[25]
Local programming
In 2022, WLJT broadcast 23+1⁄2 hours (12 on broadcast, 11+1⁄2 online) of local community events.[26]
^"ETV Reception Studied". The Jackson Sun. February 22, 1968. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^Lyons, David (July 10, 1980). "Knox Educational-TV Transmitter Urged". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^Locker, Richard (September 7, 1983). "Residents Seek Ownership of WLJT". The Commercial Appeal. p. A3. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
Broadcast television in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and Northwest Tennessee, including Paducah, Cape Girardeau and Harrisburg
(*) – indicates station is in one of Tennessee's primary TV markets (**) – indicates station is in an out-of-state TV market, but reaches a small portion of Tennessee
